Author: Cody Aceveda

Cody Aceveda is a freelance writer based in Porto, Portugal. He has written for The Trivela Effect since February 2023. Cody is a fan of the Brighton, Portland Timbers, Portland Thorns, and Rayo Vallecano. He is also an experienced iGaming writer with over two years experience writing about sports betting and the sports betting industry for a variety of outlets.
2025/26 Premier League Power Rankings after Matchday 6
1Oct By Cody AcevedaNo Comments
Analysis, Rankings

2025/26 Premier League Power Rankings after Matchday 6

Premier League Matchday 6 saw Liverpool lose to Crystal Palace, Arsenal gain ground in the title race, and Manchester City hammer Burnley 5-1. Let’s look back at these results and the rest of Matchday 6 to see where each club stands ahead of Matchday 7.   20. Wolves (–1) It feels harsh dropping Wolves back down to 20th place after their gutsy 1-1 draw against Tottenham, but someone has to be last, and they are definitely deserving candidates. Vitor Pereira’s side have just one point this season and the league’s worst goal difference through six matches (-9). They’ve pulled off great escapes before, but it’s looking pretty unlikely this season.  19. Burnley (-1) Burnley’s 5-1 loss to Manchester City was the most expected result of the weekend. I guaranteed City would win by two goals in...
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2025/26 LaLiga Power Rankings after Matchday 7
30Sep By Cody AcevedaNo Comments
Analysis, Rankings

2025/26 LaLiga Power Rankings after Matchday 7

LaLiga Matchday 7 saw Atlético Madrid destroy Real Madrid 5-2 in the Madrid Derby, Barcelona jump to the top of the table, and Elche stay undefeated with a 2-1 win over Celta Vigo. Let’s review these LaLiga Matchday 7 fixtures and rank teams ahead of Matchday 8.   20. Girona Girona managed to scrap out a 1-1 draw with Espanyol on Matchday 7 thanks to a five-save performance from goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga. The Argentine was the Blanquivermells man of the match, but the entire defense did their part, holding Espanyol to just 1.08 xG from 20 shots.  Offensively, though, Girona really struggled to convert solid opportunities. Of their seven shots in the box, they only managed to get one on target. They missed their only big chance of the game. Results like this draw are why I think Giron...
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2025/26 LaLiga picks, score predictions for every Matchday 7 fixture
25Sep By Cody AcevedaNo Comments
Analysis

2025/26 LaLiga picks, score predictions for every Matchday 7 fixture

LaLiga had a full set of matches during the week, but the action doesn’t ever stop in Spain. The games pick right back up this weekend, with big matchups like Atlético Madrid vs. Real Madrid, Villarreal vs. Athletic Club, and Barcelona vs. Real Sociedad. Here are my LaLiga picks and score predictions for these matches and every other Matchday 7 fixture.  Girona vs. Espanyol Estadi Municipal de Montilivi, 9:00pm CEST (3:00pm ET), Friday, September 26 Girona unexpectedly found themselves in the relegation fight last season. This year, they look on track to actually go down. The Catalan club have lost four of their six LaLiga matches so far — all of which were by two goals or more. However, they managed to scrape out a 1-1 draw with Athletic Club in Matchday 6.  Espanyol finished just t...
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2025/26 Premier League picks, score predictions for every Matchday 6 fixture
25Sep By Cody AcevedaNo Comments
Analysis

2025/26 Premier League picks, score predictions for every Matchday 6 fixture

Premier League Matchday 6 features a full slate of weekend action, including a clash between new rivals Chelsea and Brighton and a matchup between top-of-the-table Liverpool and Oliver Glasner’s Crystal Palace. On Sunday, Newcastle will try to jump-start their season at home against Arsenal.  Let’s get ready for these big matchups and every other Matchday 6 fixture with our EPL predictions for each match.  Brentford vs. Manchester United Gtech Community Stadium, 12:30pm BST (7:30am ET), Saturday, September 27 Manchester United bounced back from their 3-0 defeat to Manchester City with a 2-1 win at home against Chelsea. As chaotic as that match was, the Red Devils played well and will be coming into this match on a high.  Brentford, on the other hand, are feeling as low as they’ve ...
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2025/26 Premier League Power Rankings after Matchday 5
22Sep By Cody AcevedaNo Comments
Rankings

2025/26 Premier League Power Rankings after Matchday 5

Premier League Matchday 5 featured a full slate of games, including Manchester United’s 2-1 crazy upset victory against Chelsea and Arsenal’s hard-fought 1-1 draw against Manchester City.  With those results in the books, let’s take a look at our updated PL power rankings and see where each club stands ahead of Matchday 6.  20. West Ham (–1) West Ham aren’t bottom of the table, but they really should be. They only lost by one goal to Crystal Palace at the weekend. It could’ve been much worse. Palace created 2.31 xG from 18 shots to the Hammers’ 0.66 xG from 8 shots.  Graham Potter’s side have lost five of their six competitive matches this season, including three London derbies. I’m frankly stunned he still has a job. If recent reports are true, he might not have one for much longe...
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Premier League Power Rankings: The 5 most likely teams to be relegated in 2025/26
30Aug By Cody AcevedaNo Comments
Analysis

Premier League Power Rankings: The 5 most likely teams to be relegated in 2025/26

We’re two weeks into the 2025-26 Premier League season, and it’s already looking like it will be one of the most competitive in recent history. There are three teams fighting for the title and at least eight who could challenge for the top four. Let’s look at the other side of the table, though. Here are the five teams most likely to be relegated this season.  Wolves Wolves have been tipped to go down for at least a couple seasons now. They’ve managed to avoid the drop, and I think they’ll do the same this season. That said, this is set to be their toughest Premier League campaign in some time.  Matheus Cunha scored or assisted nearly 40% of Wolves’ league goals last season and Rayan Aït-Nouri is one of the best attacking full-backs in the Premier League. Losing them will be difficult...
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Premier League Predictions: The 5 most likely managers to be fired before 2026 begins
26Aug By Cody AcevedaNo Comments
Analysis

Premier League Predictions: The 5 most likely managers to be fired before 2026 begins

The 2025-26 Premier League season has kicked off, and several managers are already on the hot seat. Some of them won’t be around for much longer. Here are the five managers most likely to be fired before 2026 begins. 5. Ruben Amorim (Manchester United) Since Sir Alex Ferguson, every new Manchester United manager has been told he’ll be given time to build. Yet, not a single one has lasted more than 30 months in charge. A third of them didn’t even make it more than a year.  Ruben Amorim has been given the same assurances from new Man Utd owner INEOS, but, based on how his team has performed so far, it’s not hard to imagine him as the next Red Devils’ boss whose project is cut short.  The former Sporting CP boss somehow made Man Utd worse than they were under Erik ten Hag.  United los...
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Premier League Predictions: The biggest question for each Big 6 club in 2025/26
25Aug By Cody AcevedaNo Comments
Analysis

Premier League Predictions: The biggest question for each Big 6 club in 2025/26

The Premier League is underway, but there’s still enough time to interrogate the league’s top teams. Here is one question for each Big 6 club that could decide their seasons.  Manchester United: Who plays in midfield? Ruben Amorim’s first half-season at Manchester United was plagued by every problem imaginable. As David Moyes once said, Man Utd “must improve in a number of areas, including passing, creating chances and defending.” The Red Devils addressed some of those issues in attack by spending €225m to sign Benjamin Sesko, Bryan Mbeumo, and Matheus Cunha. The defense was already in decent shape and should remain so this season (provided key players stay healthy). Goalkeeper is another issue, but Andre Onana is at least serviceable. That just leaves the midfield.  So far, Amorim...
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Ranking the 5 Best Premier League squads for the 2025/26 season
19Aug By Cody AcevedaNo Comments
Rankings

Ranking the 5 Best Premier League squads for the 2025/26 season

The 2025 summer transfer window has been one of the busiest in history. Premier League clubs have spent £2.2 billion on players to reinforce their squads for this season. With that in mind, let’s look at where things stand now and the five best Premier League squads heading into the 2025-26 season.  5. Brighton The top four Premier League squads pretty much speak for themselves. The order is the only real thing up for debate. Number five, though, is tough. I’ve gone with Brighton because I think their squad is talented and also unique compared to other top-flight clubs.  For one, the Seagulls are incredibly young. Even with James Milner (39), Danny Welbeck (34), and Lewis Dunk (33) in the side, Brighton were the second-youngest team in the league last season, with an average age of 23...
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Ranking the 5 best strikers still available on the 2025 summer transfer market
14Aug By Cody AcevedaNo Comments
Rankings, Transfer News

Ranking the 5 best strikers still available on the 2025 summer transfer market

This year’s transfer window has been the summer of striker signings. Premier League clubs alone have spent over €600m on No. 9’s this transfer window, and they’re not even close to being finished. With that in mind, let’s look at the top five strikers still available on the transfer market. 5. Yoane Wissa If Yoane Wissa were a few years younger, I could’ve easily put him second or third on this list. “But didn’t you put 29-year-old Ollie Watkins higher than Wissa?” you might ask. Yes, I did, but that’s because Watkins has reached higher highs than Wissa more consistently. I also have questions about how Wissa will perform without Bryan Mbeumo by his side.  With all this being said, Wissa is a proven goalscorer, and those are hard to come by.  Wissa netted 20 goals in all competitio...
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